Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, Aug 27, 2025

Fraser proposes for BVI to have two parliamentary Houses as part of constitutional review

Fraser proposes for BVI to have two parliamentary Houses as part of constitutional review

Senior Opposition legislator Julian Fraser has said he believes the British Virgin Islands should adopt a bicameral system of government which would consist of a House of Assembly (the Lower House) as well as a seven-member Senate (the Upper House).

While House of Assembly members is elected by the general public, Senate members are nominated, as is the case with the Speaker of the House.

Fraser, however, said he would want all members of the Senate to be elected as he does not believe in legislators being appointed by an individual.

The senior legislator gave the proposal of having a Senate while debating the long-awaited Constitutional Review in the House of Assembly on Monday, July 27.

He said as the territory advances towards self-determination, it should have a bicameral system which would bring a higher level of transparency in the legislative process in the BVI.

“Our legislation should be in a position to reflect what it will be upon self-determination. You have to start preparing yourself for these things, and as it seems the preferred method for moving into self-determination with our legislator is with a bicameral legislature,” Fraser stated.

“One of the guide principals and shining lights of any law-making body which is the legislature is transparency and variety. What a second House would do is give a second look, a different legislation, and opinions because it varies and coming from a second source it makes stronger legislation.”


Proposed make up of system

Fraser, who seconded the motion for the debate into a Constitutional Review, gave a proposal for how he believes the bicameral system would work in the BVI.

“This is very easy to achieve, all we need to do is, we need to break the BVI up into three sections – eastern, central and western. There are nine districts. Districts Seven, Eight and Nine — east; Six, Five, Four — central; Three, Two, and One — west,” he stated.

“Each of those districts – eastern, central and western – will return two to the senate for six members of the Senate, and the seventh senator will be elected between Jost Van Dyke and Anegada. You’ll have a seven-member Senate and the mechanics of how the senate and the House of Assembly works can be worked out,” he explained.

Fraser further outlined how the system would work during the process of passing legislation.

He said: “A Bill passed through the House of Assembly goes to the Senate and the Senate rejects it, ok. The House either works on the amendments to settle with the Senate, or they sit on it for a year and bring it back and it passes.”


Don’t be discouraged

Fraser also urged the members of government not to be discouraged in pursuing such an unprecedented move as the BVI is not too small for such an undertaking.

“Right now we have a unicameral system, we wouldn’t be the first OT (Overseas Territory) to have a bicameral system. It exists in Bermuda, and don’t let anyone convince you that we are too small.”

“The very United Kingdom with 60 million people has a parliament that’s 630 members strong. The United States got 330 million people and they have a House of Representatives of 420 people and they have a Senate of 100. So don’t let anyone tell you that we are too small,” he stated.

The BVI last underwent a Constitutional Review in 2007, which is now more than three years overdue as the Constitution legally requires for a review every 10 years.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Spotify’s Strange Move: The Feature Nobody Asked For – Returns
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
A new faith called Robotheism claims artificial intelligence isn’t just smart but actually God itself
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
Nurse who raped woman continued working for a year despite police alert
Drought forces closures of England’s canal routes, canceling boat holidays
Sweet tooth scents: food-inspired perfumes surge as weight-loss drugs suppress appetites
Experts warn Britain dangerously reliant on imported food
Family of Notting Hill Carnival murder victim call event unmanageable
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
×